Glare eliminating device



Nov. 10, 1970 SACHSE 3,538,509

GLARE ELIMINATING DEVICE Filed Dec. 10, 1968 United States Patent 3,538,509 GLARE ELIMINATING DEVICE Konrad Sachse, 105 Derley Park, Enstra Springs, Transvaal, Republic of South Africa Filed Dec. 10, 1968, Ser. No. 782,678 Claims priority, application Republic of South Africa, Dec. 12, 1967, 67/7,47'5 Int. Cl. A61f 9/00 U.S. Cl. 212 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The invention is of a antiglare eyeshield for motorists comprising a spectacle device havingtranslucent panels extending obliquely forwardly and parallel with one another with the bottom edges not lower than the centres of the eyes of the wearer, said panels being laterally adjustable.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION Various forms of antiglare eyeshield are known but these, when screening of the light of approaching vehicles, do not provide a clear view of the road in front of the motorist or the side of the road opposite to the side from which the oncoming vehicles approaches. It is an object of the invention to provide an antiglare eyeshield whereby the wearer may adjust the positions of screen forming panels relative to the positions of approaching light sources by merely lowering and turning his head slightly to maintain a clear view of the road in front of himself, in front of the light sources, and the side of the road.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to improved means for wearing by a person to avoid or substantially reduce the inconvenience of glare or dazzle caused by the head lamps of oncoming vehicles when driving at night.

According to the invention antiglare eyeshield means for a vehicle driver provides on a spectacle-like frame a pair of translucent panels extending obliquely from the frame substantially parallel with one another and with the bottom edges not lower than the centres of the eyes of the wearer of the means while each panel is separately adjustably attached to the frame; the arrangement of the translucent panels being substantially normal to light beams emitted by headlamps of oncoming vehicles while an unobstructed view of the road in front of and towards the side, away from oncoming vehicles, is provided.

By arranging the bottom edges of the translucent panels in a plane not lower than the centres of the wearers eyes, the road substantially immediately in front of the vehicle of the wearer is not obscured and by merely raising or lowering his head, the wearer can increase or decrease the unobstructive view range in front of him and by turning his head sidewardly he may also accommodate or vary the position of the panels relative to the glare of the lights of oncoming traflic.

In addition to the adjustable attachment of the translucent panels to the spectacle-like frame they are preferably also removable. Said panels can also be angularly adjustable about substantially vertical axes. The panels may also be vertically adjustable.

The panels are preferably provided on a spectacle-like frame, comprising a transverse beam-like part, having centrally adjustable nose engaging supports or pads and hinged ear hooks or arms at the ends. Adjacent the centre and adjacent one end of the beam-like part the translucent panels are attached for projecting obliquely Patented Nov. 10, 1970 forwardly of and partly across the frame. Alternatively such. translucent panels may be provided on normal spectacles. In such cases the said translucent panels or nonfocal lenses may be attached, preferably hingedly, to clip elements which may be readily attached to the normal spectacles adjacent one side of the frame and adjacent the opposite side of the centre or nose bridge portion or the like of the frame. Advantageously a beamlike part, without ear hooks and nose supports, but with the translucent panels, may be provided with means for hook-on or clip-on attachment on a spectacle frame.

The translucent panels are advantageously of substantially rectangular shape but other shapes, presenting substantially straight bottom edges, may be used if particularly desired.

In the application of the translucent panels for driving on roads where the traflic must keep to the left hand side of the road, the two translucent panels, forming light screens, are attached to the right hand side of the spectacle-like frame and adjacent the left hand side of the centre portion of the frame. The reverse would apply for right hand driving.

The translucent material of the shield panels includes any suitable light filtering or screening materials and also such materials having an outwardly directed light reflecting surface.

For the invention to be clearly understood, reference will now be made to the drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a pictorial view of one form of antiglare eyeshield means constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of a preferred form of eyeshield means also constructed according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is a plan of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is an elevation of one shield panel in the direction of the arrow V of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a view of one shield panel incorporating pivotal mounting means; and

FIG. 7 is a view of one eye shield panel incorporating pivotal and vertical adjusting means.

In FIG. 1 reference numeral 10 denotes a transverse spectacle-like frame forming part having ear hooks or arms 12 hingedly attached to opposite ends while a nose bridge formation 14 is provided at the centre region. Adjacent the right hand end of the frame 10 a hinge pin mounting projection 16 is provided. Similarly a hinge pin mounting projection 16 is provided on the left of the nose bridge formation 14 of frame 10. On a hinge pin, extending downwardly from each projection 16 in movement restrained fashion, substantially rectangular shaped translucent panel or non-focal lense 18 is mounted by the right hand side edge 20 for adjustable location in respect of angular positioning relative to the general vertical plane of the frame 10. The bottom edges 22 of the panels or lenses 18 are at positions to be disposed substantially across the centres of the eyes of the wearer.

FIGS. 2, 3, 4 and 5 illustrate a preferred embodiment of the antiglare eyeshield means and comprises a beam 24 from the centre portion of which a pair of downwardly directed spaced elements 26 extend. The elements 26 are of a bendable ductile material having on the bottom ends nose engaging pads 28 for resting on the upper side region of the wearers nose. On the ends of the beam rearwardly directed portions 30 are provided onto which the ear hooks or arms 12 are hingedly attached according to normal practice. The beam 24 is of slightly forwardly convergent shape, as can be seen in FIG. 3. In the upper and lower faces of the beam 24, and extending from the bridge forming centre portion, longitudinal grooves 32 and 34 are respectively provided. The bottoms of the grooves 32 are provided with a plurality of closely spaced small transverse ridges, presenting a roughened surface.

The translucent panels 18 are attached to short mountings 36 which are of lipped channel section for engaging across the front face of the beam part 24 while the lips 37 of the flanges engage into the grooves 32 and 34. On the upper of said lips a small transverse rib or protrusion 38 is provided adapted to resiliently engage the ribbed formation in the bottom of the groove 32 whereby longitudinal movement of the mountings 36 is restrained and whereby such mountings 36, and consequently the panels 18, may be retained in any position along the grooved portions of the beam 24. The angles between the mountings 36 and the two translucent panels 18 are different for the panels required to be positioned before the left and right eyes in order that the two translucent panels 18 may be substantially parallel with one another.

According to the modification shown in FIG. 6 the mounting 36 is provided with a pair of spaced lugs 40 mounting a pivot pin 42. On the pivot pin 42, and between the lugs 40, a holed protrusion 44 on one vertical edge of a panel 18 is received in pivotal and movement restraining fashion.

The modification shown in FIG. 7 provides for a vertical journal forming part 46 in which a short pivot pin 48, fixed parallel to one side edge of a translucent panel 18, is journalled and axially movable in fictionally restrained fashion or lockable by a clamping screw.

The hinged attachment of panels 18 to the mountings 36 provide for changing of the angle of location of the panels 18 relative to the beam 24 and also for folding flat onto the beam for storing purposes in a case or the like. By providing vertical adjustment, as according to the construction shown in FIG. 7, the position of the bottom edges 22 of the translucent panels 18 relative to the beam and centres of the eyes of a wearer may be changed according to the requirements of the wearer.

The translucent panels are preferably manufactured from a substantially rigid material capable of screening light.

I claim:

1. Antiglare eye shield means for motorists comprising a beam, a hinged ear hook on each end of the beam, adjustable nose supports on the middle portion of the beam, a pair of removable unconnected and separately adjustable translucent panels on the beam positioned to extend obliquely from a forwardly directed face of the beam in substantially parallel spaced relationship whereas the bottom edges of said panels are horizontal and disposed not lower than the centres of the eyes of the wearer, said beam being provided with grooves in upper and lower faces and which grooves extend from a middle portion of the beam to the ends of the beam whereas each panel has a mounting part at an upper corner of one end and which mounting part is of channel-section and having inwardly directed lips and including means adapted for restrained movement of said lips within the grooves of the beam for separate adjustable retention of the panels along the beam and for sliding off from the end for removal of the panels from the beam.

2. Antiglare eye sh'ield means as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is provided in each groove in the upper face of the beam a transversely ribbed surface and a 5 protruding nib on the lip of the panel mounting part engageable in said groove, said nib being adapted to restrainingly engage the ribbed surface of the groove for lockingly retaining the mounting part in any position on a grooved portion of the beam.

3. Antiglare eye shield means as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is provided on a forwardly directed face of each mounting part for a translucent panel spaced horizontal lugs, a formation on one end of each panel for engagement between said lugs, and a pin passing through 25 the lugs and the formation whereby the lug is pivotally mounted in a movement restraining fashion about a vertical axis.

4. Antiglare eye shield means as claimed in claim 1 wherein there is provided on a forwardly directed face of each mounting part a vertically holed protrusion and a vertical shaft part on and in spaced relationship adjacent one vertical edge of each panel, said shaft part :being journalled and axially moveable in restrained fashion within the hole of the protrusion.

0 H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Primary Examiner 

